Street Art: Wallace & Ladmo Tribute Mural, Close-up, Phoenix, ArizonaImage by classic_film If you live in or used to live in Arizona and fondly remember the long-running kids' TV program "The Wallace and Ladmo Show," you owe it to yourself to check out the Wallace and Ladmo tribute mural in central Phoenix. The historic television show, which began airing in 1954 and went off the air in 1989, is often aired in re-runs on weekends in the Phoenix area. Mural location: First Studio Building 631 N. 1st Avenue Phoenix, Arizona In the background, you can see a portion of the historic, towering Westward Ho Hotel that was built in 1928. The old building on which the mural characters of Wallace, Ladmo, and Gerald is painted was originally the home of KPHO, Arizona's first TV station, and was the birthplace of "The Wallace and Ladmo Show." The KPHO studio was in the Westward Ho building, which was constructed in 1948. KPHO first signed on the air on December 4, 1949, not only becoming Arizona's first TV station, but the only TV station between El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California. Of the three main cast members, only one, Pat McMahon, still survives and is still active in local radio and TV. He is currently the host of "The Morning Scramble" morning news/talk show in Arizona. Bill "Wallace" Thompson passed away July 23, 2014 at the age of 82; Ladimir "Ladmo" Kwiatkowski passed away on March 2, 1994 at age 65. The beloved comedian had battled cancer for a few years, but never publicized it because he was concerned about how it would affect his thousands of fans, young and old. He lost his battle and his death came as a shock for many Arizonans, myself included. Before joining Wallace in front of the camera, Ladmo had worked as the show's cameraman; prior to that, he was an ASU baseball star. Program synopsis of "The Wallace and Ladmo Show" from IMDb: "The Wallace and Ladmo Show", the longest-running same-cast kids' show in television history, featured sharply observed comedy skits that satired popular films, television shows and music acts, lampooned local and national politics and mercilessly mocked the station management and program sponsors. Aiming its comedy squarely at hip adults, and never talking down to kids in the audience, it won over legions of fans of every age who still turn out by the thousands for revivals and conventions. It was the "Saturday Night Live" of its age, daring and subversive, a comedy landmark. Summary from Phoenix New Times: It's located on the north side of First Studio, the former KPHO TV-5 studios, and it's a big, arty hunk of nostalgia for those of us who grew up here. The Wallace and Ladmo Show mural depicts Wall-boy mugging alongside his longtime sidekick Ladmo, who's wearing his signature T-shirt tie and pulling a classic Ladmo face. They're flanking local legend Pat McMahon, who's in Gerald drag circa 1969, and the whole thing, which takes up nearly the entire width of the ancient building, is a sight that may cause Phoenicians of a certain age to drive into a lamppost the first time they see it. Created by artists Nomas, Casebeer, and Jenny Ignaszewski, it's a gorgeous tribute to the longest-running children's TV show in American broadcast history. More info about the show is posted at Wikipedia -- here's a snippet: The Wallace and Ladmo Show has been the subject of several museum exhibits over the years. In 2009, two different exhibits about the show's history were on view: one at the Arizona Historical Society in Tempe (AHS has over 2,500 Wallace and Ladmo items in their collection), and the other at the Mesa Historical Museum. There is also a permanent exhibit in the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix.

Vintage Arizona Neon Sign: Hotel San Carlos, View to the Northeast, Phoenix, ArizonaImage by classic_film On Halloween morning, my son, my daughter, her boyfriend, and I trekked out to central Phoenix to check out the vintage Hotel San Carlos, a posh, old hotel that is still in operation, has ties to the Golden Age of Hollywood, and has a legendary reputation for being haunted. Among the ghosts that reportedly reside in the hotel is a young woman named Leone Jensen, who committed suicide by jumping from her hotel room window on the 7th floor after being rejected by her fiancé. More details about her death and other ghosts are posted here. While our visit was ghost-free, the kids and I had a blast with our unique Halloween excursion. Location: 202 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, Arizona Some historical background, text selections from the Hotel San Carlos website:The Hotel San Carlos was established in 1928, and is a proud member of The Historic Hotels of America and The National Trust for Historic Preservation. 1927: The Hotel San Carlos finally became the hotel project the growing city yearned for when Charles Harris, financed by Dwight B. Heard, purchased the hotel site and began construction. The design was done by nationally known architects, G. Witecross Ritchie of Los Angeles, in the Italian renaissance style. 1928: The formal Grand opening March 20th, 1928 was boldly announced in the Arizona Gazette (now the Arizona Republic). Mr. Dwight Heard, a prominent figure in Phoenix real estate and development, and his partner, Charles Harris, were very proud of their state-of-the-art hotel. It was the most modern hotel in the entire Southwest United States, the first air conditioned, high-rise hotel in Phoenix, and the first high-rise hotel with elevators (hand operated) in the state. It had Italian tapestries, a card room, dancing, and an outdoor sun room. At a time when the latest automobile, the model "A" Ford, cost only 0, the Hotel San Carlos was build at a cost of nearly 0,000! [...] 1928-1960: During this time, the hotel continued to be a hub for the Phoenix elite, political and social, as well as a Mecca for Hollywood stars. Mae West stayed here in 1929 while performing at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams, in "I'm No Angel". It was reported she left orders with the front desk to "not be awaked until 3:00 pm with a bottle of champagne and two glasses." The Phoenix Press Club was founded here. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent much of their romantic time here in Arizona at the San Carlos. Gable often referred to Lombard as the "love of his life." Marilyn Monroe was a guest during her filming of Bus Stop. She wanted a room close to our pool on the third floor, so that she could slip out to the deck and sunbath with the least amount of attention. Other stars such as Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, Gene Autry, and big band artists Kay Starr, Woody Herman and Harry James all spent time here over the years. Governors, senators, and countless other notables, also enjoyed the services of the San Carlos over the years.